European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 6, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes wednesday september 6,1989 German Economy growth sets 13-year High Bonn West Germany up the West Ger Man Economy experienced its highest growth rate in 13 years during the first six months of 1989, with the Gross National product rising 4.6 percent the federa Bureau of statistics said tuesday. Commenting on the report government spokes Man Hans Klein said the favourable development of labor markets generated by the Strong economic growth continues the statistical report showed Gross National product growth has reached the 1976 High of 4.6 percent in the first six months of this year. The figure docs not take inflation into account. The statistics show that during the first Quarter of this year real economic growth a figure adjusted for inflation was 4.4 percent. In the second Quarter adjusted real growth was 4.9 percent the highest quarterly growth rate since the first three months of 1980. Analysts believe the economic Boom largely resulted from High Levels of foreign Trade and invest ment As Well As an unusual amount of activity in the construction sector attributed to mild weather con  upward trend in the Economy also affected employment figures with the unemployment rat dropping 0.8 percent to 6.8 percent despite the Strong influx of ethnic German immigrants unemployment dropped by 227,000 to 1,940,000 the lowest level since 1982," the government spokesman said. We expect this positive economic trend to continue in the next several months Klein said. News updates1 falklands proposal London a Argentina wants Britain to reduce substantially the Brit ish Garrison guarding the Falkland is lands As part of an agreement to Normal ize relations Argentine Senate president Eduardo Menem said tuesday. Menem brother of Argentine presi Dent Carlos Menem also told a news conference he believes negotiations in Madrid next month will Lead to Britain and Argentina restoring diplomatic relations. Diplomatic lies were severed during the 1982 Falkland islands War when Brit Ain reclaimed the South Atlantic archipelago from Argentine invaders. Last victim found London a police said Mon Day they had recovered All 51 victims of a crash Between a pleasure boat and a Barge and identified the final victim As the Man who chartered the pleasure Craft to celebrate his 26th birthday. The last body identified was that of Antonio do Vasconcellos. His brother Domingo also died when a 1,475-ton Sand Dredger hit the 90-ton marchioness on aug. 20 As it cruised the River thames in Central London. Eighty three people on the marchioness survived. No one on the Barge died. Saab backing Stockholm Sweden a. Swedish investors gave Saab scam a Small vote of Confidence tuesday despite the aul making c9mpany s announce ment of a Steep fall in profits. Saab said monday it was negotiating a co operation agreement with the Ford motor co. To overcome losses in its car division that slashed the company s profits by 30 percent in the first six months of the year to 902 million Kronor $ 139 million. Prices of Saab shares Rose 3 Kronor 46 cents to 238 Kronor $36,62 in Early trading on the Stockholm Market tues Day after holding steady on monday Fol lowing Saab s announcement. Iranian says Bush has written leaders suggests Deal on hostages possible Nicosia Cyprus a an iranian official said that president Bush has written letters to Iran s leaders and that Western hostages held in Lebanon May be freed if the United states releases Ira Nian assets iranian news Media said tuesday. The comments by Deputy foreign minister a Mohammad Besharati were based on an interview in the English Lan Guage Tehran times and carried by the official islamic Republic news Agency monitored in Nicosia. Besharati claimed that Bush recently sent several letters to iranian leaders. Sonic of these messages he told the daily were addressed to the islamic re Public of  others he added were received through the Swiss embassy which handles . Interests in Iran and a few through countries trying to mediate an end to the feud. In Kennebunkport Maine White House spokesman roman Popadiuk de Nied the reports saying there has been no message sent by the president to the iranian leadership. Fanatical shiite moslem groups financed and supported by Iran Are believed to be holding the 16 Western hos tages including eight americans. The iranian news Agency quoted Besharati As saying Iran never replied to the United states in writing but ver bal messages definitely were Given through  the Agency quoted him As saying the iranian leadership believes the Bush administration has realized the mistakes made by former president Reagan s administration. We see the Bush administration has tried to undo Many things of the past he added. The Agency quoted him As adding that As a sign Osgood will the United states should denounce interference in iranian affairs by previous administrations and release the iranian assets with no conditions  if the United states stops hostility toward Iran that will have an Impact on the entire moslem world Besharati added. Asked if that would help secure the release of Western hostages in Lebanon he said. Yes i believe that the hostage Issue will also be solved and All the hos tages May be  v the hostages Are eight americans four britons an italian an irishman and two West germans. The longest held is american Terry Anderson 41, chief Middle East correspondent for the associated press. He was kidnapped March 16,1985. . Speeding up military assistance to Philippines defense chief says Holiday traffic toll Chicago a More than 400 peo ple died in traffic accidents on the nation s roadways during the labor Day Holiday weekend authorities said tuesday. As of Midnight Law enforcement and other authorities had reported 405 Fatali ties. The National safety Council projected last week that there could be Between 420 and 520 traffic deaths Over the three Day Holiday which traditionally Marks the end of summer. For counting purposes the weekend began at 6 . Local time Friday and ended at 11 59 . Monday. Council spokeswoman Gail Mansfield said there were 422 traffic fatalities re corded in 1988. The highest toll for the Holiday weekend was togged in 1968, when 688 people d de in traffic Acci dents. Manila Philippines up armed forces chief Gen. Runato de Villa said tuesday that by mid-1990, the United states will deliver $64 million Worth of helicopter gunships and naval patrol boats to help in the philippine government s Campaign against communist rebels. The philippine military meanwhile said soldiers tuesday killed a ranking rebel Field commander operating outside the .-run Subic Bay. Naval facilities during a raid on his hideout in Bataan province 40 Miles West of Manila. Bataan s provincial police commander. Col. Ramsey Ocampo. Identified the slain guerrilla As Crisostomo Ibarra one of the most wanted rebel leaders in the country. A 150,000 peso $7,000 Reward had been offered for his capture. Ocampo said Ibarra was a Field com Mander of the communist new people s army spa in the provinces of Bataan and Zambalis where the . Naval base is located. Do Villa who just returned from a nine Day visit to the United states said in a news conference that . Officials have agreed to deliver the following by next june 24 helicopter gunships Worth $1 million each and 35 Navy patrol boats amounting to $40 million. He said the delivery was under Washington s foreign military sales package and would be used in the War against the 23,000-Strong spa whose guerrillas have killed at least four . Service members in retaliation for alleged Amer ican involvement in the anti insurgency Campaign. De Villa said . Military officials agreed to Speed up delivery of More assistance to the 160,000-Strong philippine armed forces including engineering communications medical and dental equipment. The officials were very positive and responsive to our requests particular Yin our counterinsurgency efforts he said. De Villa said the Fate of Subic Bay and Clark a America s largest bases overseas and four other smaller installations in the Philippines was briefly discussed in his talks in Washington. I was asked by them and i repeated to them the position of the president Corazon Aquino that the. Americans can take the initiative to begin talks and that the president is keeping her options open he said. The lease on the bases expires in 1991. Belgian technician steals f-16, crashes it into norwegian Home Oslo Norway a a belgian technician stole an f-16 Jet fighter and crashed it into a House apparently kill ing himself and destroying the building in a fireball a norwegian air Force offi Cial said. It. Col. Svein Fred Rikson of nor Way s Orland air Force base said the technician was the Only person reported missing after the belgian Jet fighter crashed about 1 ., nine Miles from the coastal base West of the City of trondheim. The technician who was not immediately identified was presumed dead he said. He was attending a nato training course Fredrikson said. We checked the burned out House after the crash and found no victims he said we Don t know anything about what happened or Why he took the aircraft. Fredriksen said the technician did not have permission or training to Fly the f-16. You could say he stole it we Don t know if he had any other kind of flight  ". Rescue helicopters were dispatched but found no evidence that he had ejected from the aircraft pilots from Norway Holland Bel Gium and Denmark had joined the exercises he said